


Archimedes Snippets

by AuroraNova



Category: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: M/M, Post-Canon, Starfleet Spouse Garak
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-07
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:53:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21712534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraNova/pseuds/AuroraNova
Summary: Glimpses of Julian and Garak's new life on theUSS Archimedes, featuring Starfleet Spouse Garak.
Relationships: Julian Bashir/Elim Garak
Comments: 35
Kudos: 230





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [All Our Tomorrows](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18559981) by [AuroraNova](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AuroraNova/pseuds/AuroraNova). 



> After I wrote All Our Tomorrows, people were so into the idea of Garak as a Starfleet spouse that I wrote some follow-up scenes, but they never went anywhere so I posted them to Tumblr and moved on. Now I've decided I may as well put them here. I'm still not planning more, though that doesn't always end up meaning much. ;)
> 
> Apologies for the tense switching between snippets. Since I abandoned efforts for a cohesive whole, that's just how they wanted to be written.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Garak gets told repeatedly that his behavior will reflect on Julian, so he should make sure he’s willing to accept such a responsibility.

It starts with Dax, which is to be expected. She and Julian managed to build a strong friendship on the ashes of their brief romance, and they look out for each other. “You know, Garak," she says, “Julian is going to be under a lot of scrutiny for bringing you on the _Archimedes_ as his husband.”

She doesn’t want him to hurt Julian’s career. Garak understands this and respects it. He knew before he accepted Julian’s request for betrothal that the two of them will be closely watched, and that in marriage he has a responsibility not to hurt Julian’s reputation any more than it will inevitably suffer from their matrimony. He would not have agreed if he was unwilling to act accordingly.

That does not mean he is obliged to explain himself to Dax in any detail.

“If you’re trying to tell me that my activities aboard the ship will impact how others perceive him, I remind you that I am Cardassian. We are intimately familiar with the concept.”

“Okay,” she says, and proceeds to suggest he make social connections with other Starfleet spouses as well as cultivate his own hobbies. Garak is about to dismiss this when he realizes Dax, in her own way, wants him to be content in his new life almost as much as she wants him not to ruin Julian’s prospects in Starfleet. Perhaps that is for Julian’s benefit, but it could also be for his own.

He repays this with a bit of sincerity. “I will take your suggestions under advisement. And, Lieutenant, I am well aware that Julian and I will be closely watched. I cannot promise I will conform to expectations, but I take my responsibility to him with utmost gravity.”

Dax is pleased.

That conversation was fine, but then Garak received a subspace video from O’Brien on the subject; an awkward warning from Julian’s newest friend, Lieutenant Rard; a characteristically blunt comment from Kira (since when does Kira concern herself with Julian’s reputation, Garak would like to know); and even a remark from Quark about how difficult it will be to live aboard a ship where he’s held to a Federation moral standard, followed by a long and only tangentially related story from Morn.

By this point, if Captain Sisko left the nonlinear plane long enough to give him the same cautionary talk (presuming Yates and the Bajorans are right that he isn’t simply dead), Garak would only be mildly surprised.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Julian has a frank discussion with his new captain, acknowledging that his marriage won’t be popular.

Andrea was up to her neck in paperwork. It turned out the Federation’s agreement with the Klingons and Romulans as to exploration of the Gamma Quadrant required even more forms than usual, so she hoped the incoming subspace call would be a break.

The caller was her new CMO. Probably not much of a break, then, but it got her eyes off bureaucratic forms, so she’d take it.

“Captain.” Bashir was still wearing lieutenant’s pips, so his promotion hadn’t been finalized yet.

“Hello, Doctor.”

“I’m looking forward to serving on the _Archimedes_ with you.”

“So am I, but I get the impression this isn’t a social call.” Andrea didn’t believe in spending ten minutes on niceties before getting to the point.

“No, ma’am. I thought it best to notify you in advance that I’m getting married, and will be bringing my husband aboard with me.”

“Congratulations,” she said. “That’s no problem. Unless there are children involved? You know we’re not taking on minors.” The mission had received Starfleet’s rarely-used D categorization: civilian spouses were permitted, but minor dependents were not due to potential dangers. Andrea’s first officer had already reported three crewmembers who requested and were denied exemptions, two of whom then put in for transfers.

“No, no children. I expect complications because he’s Cardassian.”

That _was_ unstable ground. Andrea didn’t outwardly cringe – she’d learned to suppress that instinct years ago – but she did on the inside. “I see.”

“He worked with us during the war,” added Bashir.

Wait just a damn second. Andrea only knew of one Cardassian who’d worked with Starfleet during the war, and rumor held he’d been Obsidian Order. “I’m not sure if that makes it better or worse,” she said.

“You see why I wanted to let you know ahead of time.”

“I’m not sure why it matters. Marital discrimination still applies.”

Bashir looked at her very intently for a moment before he spoke. “Respectfully, Captain, we both know you could tell Personnel you’ve changed your mind about having a genetically enhanced officer aboard, and no one would think twice.”

So, he wasn’t afraid to call out the elephant in the room. Andrea liked that. “You’re giving me an out?”

“I don’t intend to force myself where I’m not wanted, whatever the reason.”

“Good to know,” she said. If this was how Bashir handled himself, Andrea could work with him. “I trust your fiancé knows that, right or wrong, the two of you will be held to a higher standard in the eyes of the crew.” And Command, for that matter. As for Andrea herself, it was up for debate.

“Yes, ma’am. He understands perfectly, as do I.”

Alright then. Andrea wanted the best doctor she could get, and was told she could have him if she didn’t mind that he was an Augment. The Cardassian, possibly ex-Obsidian Order husband was not a welcome addition, but on the other hand, there had been no Obsidian Order for years now, and anyone who worked with Starfleet against the Dominion had to have some redeeming qualities, right?

Besides, she liked how Bashir was dealing with this. Honest, upfront, no pretense. He was who he was, and others could take him or leave him for it. She’d give him and his husband-to-be a chance.

“Then I’ll see you in three weeks, Doctor, and I’ll make sure your quarters have a larger bed.”

“Thank you, Captain,” said Bashir. “I’m pleased to be joining your crew.”

After disconnecting the comm, Andrea sent a message to her XO, warning him to expect complaints. This mission was going to be even more complicated than she thought.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bashir & Garak show moves. The crew of the _Archimedes_ is intrigued.

The _Archimedes_ is twenty hours into its two-year mission when Bashir and Garak first argue in public.

This doesn’t escape anyone’s notice. Starfleet gossips. Not everyone, of course; the exact amount of gossip per person varies considerably. Any ship or station with a large percentage of Vulcans can be expected to show a corresponding drop in this behavior (sociologists have done studies, inherent difficulties in studying the subject notwithstanding). On the whole, though, it’s a popular pastime, especially when things are a bit dull at the moment or when a new crew comes together.

The _USS Archimedes_ is fresh from Utopia Planetia with a new crew still getting to know each other, and it doesn’t surprise anyone when the first focal point of gossip is Dr. Julian Bashir.

For one thing, their CMO comes to the _Archimedes_ from Deep Space Nine, where he was indisputably a hero of the Dominion War. His discovery of the cure for the changeling disease helped end the war, though for some reason that’s the only medical topic about which he doesn’t like to speak. He was there from the beginning of the quadrant’s conflict with the Founders, survived a Dominion internment camp, and developed an antigen to prevent the spread of a Dominion-bioengineered disease.

He’s also the first Augment allowed to serve openly in Starfleet, which is still controversial in some circles. The idea is that he’s not Khan, but some people are afraid he’s the tip of a dangerous iceberg. Nobody on the _Archimedes_ knows Bashir’s personal feelings on the subject of genetic engineering, because the only people brave enough to ask, this early in the voyage, are also wise enough to know it’s not their business.

What really secures Bashir’s place as the grapevine’s favorite subject is his marriage. He arrives on the _Archimedes_ newly married, which would’ve been unremarkable if his husband hadn’t been a Cardassian. A Cardassian who worked with the Federation during the war but may have been an Obsidian Order agent before that. Nobody on the ship is entirely sure, nor do they know exactly what said order actually did, but they assume it was something like the Tal Shiar and don’t like the idea one bit.

So it’s natural that everyone’s watching them. And what the crew sees confuses them at first.

Not a full Earth day after leaving Deep Space Nine, Bashir takes a late lunch and meets his husband in the mess hall. A handful of alpha shift crewmembers are around, and some of the beta shift getting an early breakfast, so there a good dozen witnesses to see both of them getting worked up. They speak quietly, but have intent facial expressions and both gesture with abandon.

“Didn’t they just get married?” asks Taiya, a beta shift engineer.

“I heard they practically came aboard from their honeymoon,” replies MacPherson, who then has to explain the concept to Taiya and thus learns Andorians have no equivalent.

“Short honeymoon phase,” adds Kowalczyk.

To the trio’s delight, Bashir and Garak have gotten so into their argument they raise their voices. “… absolute caricature of a villain is insulting to the reader.”

Bashir’s eyebrows fly up. “Really? That’s your next complaint?”

“Oh, please. Don’t tell me anyone goes around proclaiming, ‘Woe me, I’m so hideous to look at, I must therefore kill my brother and nephews.’ As motivations go, it lacks any semblance of credence.”

Taiya’s antennae twitch in confusion.

“You’re deliberately ignoring his motivation,” insists Bashir. The audience doesn’t have a clue what he’s talking about. “Gloucester claims to have been ‘cheated of feature by dissembling nature,’ so wronged that even dogs bark when he walks by.”

“From my understanding, Terran dogs bark all the time. It’s hardly good reason to kill your own brother.”

“He feels everyone hates him because of his physical appearance. ‘And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover, to entertain these fair well-spoken days, I am determined to prove a villain.’ If he’d been shown kindness and love, he wouldn’t have been so angry. His life could’ve been entirely different!”

“You cannot possibly intend to read this as advocating the healing power of love.”

“No, because we don’t see anyone show Gloucester love, but think of the possibility. His life could’ve been entirely different if…”

“…he lived in a time when his deformities could be easily treated?”

“…people weren’t so shallow.”

“That is a theory not remotely supported by the rest of the text.”

“Shakespeare,” says MacPherson. “I think that’s _Richard III_.” When the others give him a questioning look, he shrugs. “My mother does community theater, so I spent a lot of time at rehearsals as a kid. You pick these things up.”

Bashir’s combadge beeps. “We’ll have to continue this discussion later,” he says. He and Garak briefly press their palms together, and then the doctor heads out of the mess hall.

Garak looks towards the observing trio, smiles knowingly, and picks up a padd.

This becomes a pattern. Bashir and his husband (no one even knows if the man has a first name) don’t act like newlyweds in love. They argue. Constantly. In fact they argue more than Vord can believe, and she’s a Tellarite. A Tellarite who joined Starfleet to escape the constant verbal sparring of Tellar, if it matters, but even on her homeworld, marriage is supposed to be a refuge from conflict.

They meet for lunch when Bashir’s schedule permits. The crew begins to consider this a source of entertainment, even when they don’t have any knowledge of the books under discussion. It’s usually literature at lunch. Human and Cardassian, mostly, but they sometimes add in works from other societies with no rhyme or reason anyone else can figure. Taiya says they’re both wrong about a seminal Andorian novel, according to a Written Arts teacher she had at age sixteen.

They’re obviously fast readers, given that they discuss a new book every other day, every third at the outside. Either that, or, as Kowalczyk says, they have a lot less sex than your average newlyweds.

Some ten days into the mission, Bashir calls a Cardassian book derivative and Garak reaches new levels of primly outraged.

“Derivative! Just because your authors have no respect for tradition doesn’t mean the rest of the galaxy is so enamored with the new.” He’s clearly gearing up for a long diatribe. Some of the crew pause their own lunch to watch the spectacle when Bashir’s combage chirps, and he gets up with clear regret.

That’s when people start to realize the CMO and his husband love debating. This _is_ a honeymoon phase, weirdly enough. The pair is spotted coming out of Holodeck 1 disagreeing on the program they’d just run.

“You’re not supposed to suspect Watson.”

“I don’t see why not,” replies Garak. “If he’s constructing the narrative, he could well be the murderer.”

It appears there’s nothing they won’t argue. This doesn’t stop them from looking like they want to jump each other, though they are actually very decorous in public. No one has ever seen them do more than press their hands together.

People wonder what happens when they’re actually fighting. It turns out, silence. One day, a month into the mission, they eat quietly. It’s unnerving. They must make up overnight, though, because the following day they’re at it again, hashing out opposing views on a Cardassian poet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kotra references come in handy.

“ _Archimedes_ to Bashir,” said Lt. (j.g) Connelly, Operations Officer.

It was a long moment before the CMO responded, and if he didn’t have a good reason, Andrea was going to have a chat with him about setting alarms for check-ins.

“Bashir here.”

“You’re overdue for check-in, Doctor,” said Andrea.

“My apologies, Captain. The aid evaluation is very complex.”

That was what alarms were for, Andrea thought. “Anything to report?”

“It’s a delicate matter. I should have a better idea of what’s needed shortly.”

They’d responded to a request for help from a small Klingon colony in need of medical assistance. Andrea hadn’t even known there was a Klingon colony in the Gamma Quadrant, but the Empire wasn’t obligated to disclose every settlement to the Federation, and were within their agreed-upon rights here. The _Archimedes_ therefore dispatched an away team to see what could be done about their medical problem. Everyone knew Klingon medicine was a joke.

“Keep me informed,” said Andrea.

“Yes, ma’am.” A pause, and then, “May I speak with Garak for my spousal check-in, please?”

Starfleet did not offer spousal check-ins. Andrea started to think Bashir hadn’t forgotten anything, and there was a problem on the surface. “Of course,” she said. “One moment.”

At her nod, Connelly opened a channel to Bashir and Garak’s quarters. “Garak,” said Andrea. “Dr. Bashir commed for his spousal check-in.”

“Excellent.” Garak didn’t sound surprised in the least. He was a very good actor, Andrea decided – or she hoped that was the case here. “Are you there, Julian?”

“Yes. You’d like the temperature down here.”

“But not the menu, I’m sure.”

“No,” agreed Bashir, sounding amused. “I decided my next kotra move on the ride. It’ll give you something to think about, since I might be down here a while.”

“What is it?”

“Left flank advance center right.”

“An interesting choice,” said Garak.

“You always tell me kotra favors the bold. I look forward to your response.”

“You’ve given me few choices, my dear.”

“I know. Bashir out.”

A very puzzled Connelly reported, “Comm line closed.”

“What was that, Garak?” asked Andrea.

“A request for immediate transport.”

“If you’re wrong, we could start a diplomatic incident with offended Klingons.”

“I’m not wrong, Captain. Dr. Bashir invented a procedure to speak to me, did he not? Furthermore, we are not currently playing kotra, but the move he indicated is a trap he fell into the night before last.”

“A trap,” repeated Andrea. “I see. Lieutenant, beam up the away team.”

“Initiating transport,” said Connelly. “I have them. Transporter room two.”

Andrea tapped her combadge. “Scholz to Bashir. What the hell is going on?”

“It was a trap, Captain. They took our combadges and had a mek’leth to Tersan’s throat, so I had to get creative to avoid suspicion.”

“Is everyone alright?”

“Nothing worse than bruises. Something on this planet is unbalancing the Klingons’ mental state. The worst cases exhibit paranoia, and they decided the away team is part of a Federation plot to keep the Empire out of the Gamma Quadrant.”

“I want to see the entire away team in my ready room.”

“On our way.”

“And Doctor? Good thinking.”


End file.
